Kids at a separate table at Christmas? Yes or no?

The tree is decorated, presents are under the tree, and the menu is set for the big day (no small feat since my extended family is largely vegan and I am the meat eating black sheep).

So today I started to turn my attention to the table. Or tables. I’m struggling to decide whether or not to set one big table, or separate the kids and grownups. We’re having a fairly small gathering on Christmas day. There will be six adults and my two boys (ages 2 and 5). The cousins won’t descend until the day after.

So technically the boys would fit at the dining room table.

We sit down to eat dinner together every night, so I’m not afraid they will be terrors. And I have a big plastic mat that I could put under their chairs to protect the rug, so the mess doesn’t scare me either.

But for some reason I am emotionally attached to the idea of setting up a kid’s table. I think it is because I have such fond memories of getting to sit at the kid’s table with my brother and sister on big holidays. We always had so much fun.

I loved having a butcher paper “tablecloth” that we could doodle on. {image via: Country Living}

I loved the fact that we could trade things on our plates with one another. I hated sweet potatoes, but my sister loved them. She hated creamed onions, so I helped her with those. I also loved that we could get up and go play as soon as we were done eating, without having to wait for anyone. But most of all, I loved our silly conversations, and that we could get a case of the giggles without getting scolded.

I think I’m going to ask the boys what they would prefer. But I’m curious: are you doing a kids table? Would you do one even if kids could fit at the regular table?

http://tableclothfactory.com/ Jordan Sterne

Organizing a table for kids is always tough task for parents. As far as Christmas party is concern, as parents you may need to arrange all the things perfect for kids. Choose a tablecloth with dark color is probably a good idea because there are more food dropped by kids on table.
Place mats should be arranged wisely. Napkins should keep nearby children so they can use them often.

Jacklyn Robleto

My big crazy family (around 18 of us these days, with 5 kids 4 to 12 years old) nixed the kid table about 6 years ago, instead we made an extended table so no one was left out. The boys (now 22 to 26) had outgrown the “kid” table and we were all unhappy at being separated and the 2 little girls were the only ones there. Now the kids make decorations as we do prep work weather it’s for a family dinner or a special holiday feast.

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